Quiet In The Storm: Ueebu chronicles
by BoredParanoia
Summary: He had lived by many titles: demon, killer, merc,... Little did he know that during one such mission, he would have another title... guardian.


Alright, gang! Here it is! The prologue to the redux of Quiet in the Storm! Hope that not too many people will be put off by the new direction. So here we go! But first, before introducing you to this new world, here is my disclaimer.

Disclaimer: Naruto is the acknowledged creation, design and intellectual property of Kishimoto.

Now that's out of the way, let's jump in!

* * *

It was quiet. It was so quiet; silent would have been a better word to describe it all. However, he liked the word quiet better, but only because he disliked the word silence. No, dislike was too mild a word for his feelings for the word. He hated silence. He loathed it. To him, silence was lifelessness, condemnation, a reminder of the curse that he now carried on his back.

Looking around the boat that he was on, he judged that they were about to reach land. The sun beat down on his unprotected head, but unlike most people who would complain and try to find or create some shade for themselves, he was content. The sun let him know that he was alive, and was here to enjoy its heat. One appreciated every single day when one was as young as he was and in the type of profession he chose. Besides, the rower was too busy rowing to do so himself, and he didn't exactly enjoy tormenting the people that controlled his transportation.

"We're here. Nami no kuni. The land of the waves."

The rower said to his passenger. The 10 year old stared ahead and indicated that he had seen the approaching harbor by the slight dip of his head. It was filled with dinghies and rowboats with people moving around. Watching this scene allowed him at least some amusement to fill his minutes.

The two floated until they drew close to the harbor, which had two other men waiting for them. As soon as they drew close, the rower put his oar away and grabbed a rope that had been lying on the floor of the boat for the occasion he had in mind. But before he could, he turned to the passenger he was transporting.

"Kid, you might want to move to the back for this." The child nodded as he stood up and began to climb over the seats of the boat. The rower wordlessly tied the rope to the stern of the boat and pulled on it to make sure that the rope was tight and secured. Approving of the tightness, he tossed the other side of the rope to the two men on the pier, who pulled the boat close into the harbor. The two then tied the rope onto an anchor, checked the integrity, then left.

Both the passenger and the rower carefully got out of the boat. However, as the boy began to climb out of the boat, the sheath that was attached to his hip tipped over, sending the blade that was inside to slide out into the water. Faster than what the rower could comprehend, the boy quickly leaned over the side of the boat, his arm submerging into the depths of the water. The rower watched this scene with sadness, wondering what the boy must be going through. The sword in the sheath must have been valuable to him, considering how close he had been holding it during the entire trip.

The rower was about ready to recommend a sword smith that resided in the village when the boy took his arm out of the water. It was the first time that the rower saw the boy's sword out of its sheath, and immediately thought it as a weird sword. The first thing that he automatically noticed was the fact that the blade was broken. The tip of the tanto, which he assumed by the length and blade, was a diagonal rugged edge instead of the straight edge. Other than that, he saw that the tanto was well taken care of and maintained.

The boy climbed into the pier and set down his pack as he stared at the tanto. Then as he stared at the blade, he deftly untied the sheath around his hip and slung it over his shoulder. After tying the sheath to his back, he swung the tanto downwards, flicking the water off the blade, before sheathing it. Turning to the rower, he pulled out a small wallet, counted out a few ryo, and handed the money to the rower. The man took the money, and looked up just in time to see the boy walk away and disappear in the traffic of the harbor. The rower simply shook the chills from his spine and continued to ready his boat for a return trip. It wasn't long before he realized that a kid was giving him chills. At this revelation, he shook his head.

"What is this world coming to?"

* * *

Meanwhile, the boy was simply taking his time traversing through the woods. It was times like these that made him appreciate taking the long way around. Other than the well beat path that crossed through it, the woods in Nami no Kuni were the epitome of wild and untamed beauty, untouched by the hands of man. The clear blue sky gave way to the sun, whose light beat down from the heavens. The leaves of the trees shielded him from the light, but let rays to wiggle through, contracting and darting around like a dance. The wind rushed through the leaves and grass, providing music for the small symphony that nature was providing for him right before his eyes. However…

* * *

_Trees exploding. Bark and leaves scattering in all directions. The wind lost in the howl. _

* * *

The boy shut his eyes tight to force the memory out, missing the rock was in his way. Suddenly, his leg tripped, sending him falling into a heap, sending his items and his sword to fall out onto the road. Sitting up, he pulled down the orange scarf that was wrapped around the lower part of his face, revealing two sets of birthmarks that looked like whiskers that resided on both his cheeks.

Looking around him and seeing all his belongings strewn all around, he mentally sighed. Grabbing his pack, he began to shove all the items into it. Then he grabbed an orange covered book and began to look at it, mildly remembering it as a precious possession of his old sensei. Carefully, like a precious jewel, he dusted it off with his hands and gently placed it in the bag. After making sure that everything was there and secure, he closed the pack and slung it on his shoulder. Bending down, he retrieved the tanto and sheathed. Prepared once more, he began to walk towards the village once more, all while remembering what he was there for.

The B-ranked missing nin, the one called...

The Umi no Yari.

* * *

Please review and tell me what you think. Is it an improvement, a downgrade, or really you just don't care. But still review. In fact, I am using my new Forced Reviewing Technique to coerce you into reviewing this story. Tell me...is it working?


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